Eerie stories perfect for fans of Haruki Murakami and Kate Atkinson

BATH, Ohio – Step into the shocking, strange, and unforgettable stories of three women entering adulthood through a series of grim events in this genre-bending debut by M. Laszlo. Using his own personal journals, M. Laszlo creates an illusion of happiness struck down by the realities of society during the height of WWI and post-WWI Europe. The Phantom Glare of Day(SparkPress, Nov 1, 2022) is a trio of novellas that will shock and surprise you as each woman faces a series of events more unforeseen than the next, in an enigmatic collection that is sure to become a cult classic.

Having spent years abroad writing on his experiences, M. Laszlo combines the journals from his youth with his uncanny imagination and vintage writing style into a novella collection about three women facing strange, dire circumstances.

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“The Ghost of Sin” tells of Sophie, a young lady who has lived a sheltered life and consequently has no idea how cruel public school bullying can be. When she meets Jarvis, a young man obsessed with avenging all those students who delight in his daily debasement, she resolves to intervene before tragedy unfolds. “Mouvements Perpétuels” tells of Cäcilia, who feels unable to resist when her ice-skating instructor attempts to take advantage of her. Not a month later, she realizes that she is pregnant and must choose between an abortion and her ice skating career. “The Daughters of Lillth” tells of Manon, a young lady who falls in love with a beautiful actress after taking a post as a script girl for a film company—and is subsequently confronted with the pettiest kinds of homophobia.

Specific to their time yet unquestionably relevant for women today, The Phantom Glare of Day is an understanding coming-of-age story with a compelling interrogation of who gets to decide what is right and what is wrong.

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